New Delhi/Bengaluru: An unusual bonhomie was witnessed in Rajya Sabha today when members of rival Tamil Nadu parties AIADMK and DMK got together to oppose MPs from Karnataka while seeking government’s intervention in stopping construction of dams in the Cauvery river basin.

Raising the issue of construction of a reservoir by Karnataka in the Cauvery river basin during Zero Hour, S Muthukuruppam (AIADMK) urged the central government and the Ministry of Environment and Forests not to grant clearance to any such project.

The AIADMK member also demanded that Karnataka government should be told to maintain status quo on the issue and not go against the directions of the Supreme Court and the Cauvery Disputes Redressal Commission.

This prompted members from Karnataka including B K Hari Prasad (Congress) to rise and raise strong objections to the AIADMK member’s plea, leading to a verbal clash.

The AIADMK member was joined by his party members as well as those of the rival DMK in putting up a strong protest against the objections raised by Karnataka members who were far outnumbered in the verbal spat.

The uproar led the Deputy Chairman P J Kurien to intervene and ask the protesting members from Karnataka to give notice to put across their point of view.

Muthukuruppam then insisted that he be given some more time to complete his mention, but the Chair refused to allow him saying his three minutes were over and he was not allowed to read out in the House as per the rules.

Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday informed the Legislative Assembly that the State Government was committed to implementing the Mekedatu dam project proposed across the Cauvery river in Ramanagaram district.

He would convene an all-party meeting to discus the project and lead a delegation to Delhi to appraise the Centre of the necessity of the project for Karnataka, Mr. Siddaramaiah said during his reply to the debate on the State Budget.

Mr. Siddaramaiah said Rs. 25 crore had been set aside for preparing a detailed project report. The project was conceived to meet the drinking water needs of people residing in the parched districts around Bengaluru. It would act as a balancing reservoir and harness water flowing into the sea.

“There is no politics in Krishna and Cauvery waters. We are building the Mekedatu dam within our state, they (TN) will not have any problem from it, and we know how to face this legally,” the Chief Minister said.

Tamil Nadu observed a bandh on Saturday opposing the plan for the Mekadatu project this side of the border.

The Opposition parties-backed state-wide farmers’ bandh over the Mekedatu dam row, though the state government has distanced itself from it.

The bandh call is to press the Centre to rein in Karnataka from going ahead with its proposed plan build a dam at Mekedatu and to urge it to set up the Cauvery Management Board and Cauvery Water Regulatory Authority.

Affiliated trade unions of eight state-run transport corporations of these parties, traders’ associations, retailers, vegetable traders and sand lorry operators are among those who had expressed support for the shutdown.